Barefooting or Swivel Skiing?

While the Rowboat’s Paddlers and RykertargueaboutVenn Diagrams and question where their cooler full of beer is, I’m going to ask you to grab a beer out of your fridge, sit back and watch a video production from BFC. I’m not sure where BFC find these guys but they got some crazy footers named De Villers. I let ya’ll know about the first De Villers’ video, now there is a second one. This one has the first name of Zane and it features some solid footing.

Now if you go look at the forums on BFC, you’ll find quite the discussion about the Super Fly High that the De Villers make use of. Some people think it’s cheating and not real footing while others say it is just the evolution of the sport. I fall someone in between… Learning how to foot and get my long line deep water starts more consistent, I could tell the difference between a normal pylon, a slightly extended pylon and a hylon in how they helped me make my starts. Now the SFH is much higher, almost like a trapeze. I’m off the opinion that yeah, it’s going to make the tricks easier to do. But the tricks these guys are doing are sick and even watching them being done on the SFH is pretty awesome. So I guess I’m of the opinion that the SFH’s make the tricks easier, but if they are going to give us tricks like this, I’m all for them. Now when people start doing these tricks on a normal boom or long line on a hylon, then the people doing them on a SFH can be called wussies. Until then, they have bragging rights on some crazy tricks.

One trick Zane does that stands out is the overhead 360 on the barefeet. I see swivel skiers do this all the time, some even throw 7’s or 10’s. I also see shoe skiers do this trick. But never before have I seen it done on barefeet. Zane does some other stuff in there two, but I’ll just let you watch and be amazed.

I’m by no means saying these tricks are easy. They aren’t (although they do make them look easy). I’m just saying they are easier on the SFH than long line. Still crazy difficult, just ever so slightly easier.